1. Field of the Invention
The disclosures herein relate to a technology for managing software licenses used in various types of apparatuses (i.e., information processing apparatuses) such as personal computers and copier machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
When software is installed in an apparatus such as a PC (i.e., personal computer) or a copier machine, a license management system is typically employed. The license management system resides in a server, and is accessed from an apparatus upon installing software or at the time of requesting license upon installing software. The license management system then issues a license in exchange for information that identifies the installed apparatus. The software thereafter becomes usable. Further, the license management system prevents unauthorized use of the software in apparatuses other than the installed apparatus.
In some cases, it may be desirable to transfer a license from one apparatus having acquired the license to another apparatus. Conventionally, there are two types of license management systems to perform such transfer.
The first type instructs the apparatus having acquired a license to return the license when it is desired to transfer the license from this apparatus to another apparatus. Such another apparatus then installs the software, and newly acquires the license.
The second type does not instruct the apparatus having acquired a license to return the license. Rather, the license management system cancels the license of such an apparatus. The license is then issued to another apparatus.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-018402 discloses a system that manages a license for software installed in an apparatus for the purpose of preventing unauthorized use of the software and transferring software license information. After a license is issued to a first apparatus, a second apparatus may request to install the software. In response, this system allows the software to be installed in the second apparatus (i.e., issues license to the second apparatus). Also, the system prohibits the first apparatus having the issued license from using the software, and instructs the first apparatus to transfer license information to the second apparatus.
The license management system described above checks whether a user is a legitimate user before issuing a license for the purpose of preventing unauthorized use. To this end, the license management system requests the user to enter a license key comprised of more than ten or so alpha-numerals.
In order to transfer a license from an apparatus having the license to another apparatus, the user is required to know the license key (i.e., to remember or have access to the license key information) in either the first type of license management system or the second type of license management system. Since the license key was used at the time of obtaining the license, the administrator of the apparatus to which the license was issued may typically keep the license key. In some cases, however, the administrator may have forgotten or lost the license key. The license key needs to be reissued in such a case. Even when the license key is available, it is cumbersome for the user to operate both the apparatus having an issued license and the apparatus going to receive a transferred license if these two apparatuses are situated in separate locations. In such a case, it may be possible to request another person to operate one of the apparatuses. However, this arrangement may also be cumbersome since the license key information needs to be communicated.
Accordingly, there may be a need to provide an information processing apparatus that can easily transfer a license for installed software, without requiring a license key and without imposing excessive load on a user, between apparatuses for which software licenses are managed by a license management system.